Free Choices of Fate (Fate Series) by S. Simone Chavous

she continued to pinch herself. Nor did it account for the marks on her thumb.
    In that moment, Alexa decided she would just have to figure it out somehow. No matter what was going on, Chloe was her child and she would do whatever it took to help and protect her. As afraid as she was for Chloe and herself, she knew she needed help, so she hit the button to open the garage door, took a deep breath, gripped the steering wheel and backed down the driveway to make her way to the only source of help that she could think of. Dr. Kline.
    While part of her actually hoped that she was certifiably crazy, Alexa knew deep down it was all real. Just like she had known that night. She had spent months trying to convince herself it had been a dream, but she had always known the truth. Perhaps that was why she hadn’t completely fallen apart when her nine month old baby started drinking her blood. Or when she noticed the two new teeth that had popped up in minutes. Or the puncture marks on her thumb. Or when Chloe got up and walked as if she had been doing it for months.  
    Some part of her had always known, always expected something extraordinary from Chloe. Of course she had assumed it would just be the telepathy that she had already witnessed which Chloe inherited from her. She had spent so much time and energy focusing on trying to get over Ethan that she completely blocked out, or at least ignored, what she knew had happened that night. What she knew he was capable of. Just thinking of it made the spot on her neck throb and sent a little jolt between her thighs.

CHAPTER 6 - An Unexpected Gift

    The morning after their trip to the zoo, Alexa watched with disgust as the trashy waitress strutted away after taking their order. She had practically offered herself up to Ethan for breakfast while Alexa considered kicking her in the throat. Like a true gentleman, Ethan simply ignored her advances and placed his order, keeping his attention completely focused on Alexa.
    “I think you should move in with me.” Ethan said as he smiled broadly at Alexa across the table showing off his adorable dimples.
    She started to choke on the drink of orange juice she had just taken as her eyes widened in surprise.
    In a flash, Ethan was next to her patting her back as she regained her composure. His warm hands on her back certainly weren’t helping with that.  
    “Are you all right, Amor?”
    “Well, um, that depends. Did you seriously just ask me to move in with you?” She lifted her wrist to check the time on her nonexistent watch before looking up at him. “Considering that we met, oh, I don’t know, about twelve hours ago, that would be beyond crazy. So the logical conclusion is that I imagined it and am suffering some kind of mental break.”
    Ethan chuckled as he slid back into his seat. “Too fast? It’s just, I thought about you all night. I couldn’t stop thinking about you long enough to concentrate on anything else. It is incredibly distracting. I will never be able to get anything done, so I thought the best solution would be to have you with me as much as possible.”
    Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, he pulled out a long black velvet box. “I have something for you.” He slid the box across the table, while Alexa just continued to stare down at it, completely shocked and uncertain what to expect.
    When would he possibly have had time to get her a gift? Tentatively she picked it up and pried it open slowly, gasping at its contents.
    “Oh my God, Ethan. I, I don’t understand, when did you do this? How did you find this? It’s so beautiful.”
    Ethan stood and removed the platinum necklace from the box, moving to help Alexa put it on.  
    “So you like it?” He said smiling broadly as he brushed her hair to the side and dropped the delicate pendant, composed of two intricately carved dolphins, against her chest. They had white diamond eyes and were facing the center holding a ring from which dangled a rather large